Package sealing means



Dec. l5, 1959 A. W. ANDERSON PACKAGE SEALING MEANS Filed March 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. W. AN DERSQN PACKAGE SEALING MEANS Dec. l5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March '7. 1957 Mw d /w ./a W W @Qms/1 United StatesPatent 2,916,865 PACKAGESEALING MEANS Application March 7,1951, serial No. 44,1668

As claims. (ci. ssl-379) This invention relates `to-1zvackage sealing mean'srand particularly `to means for support-ingand holding apackage in position for sealing .a wrapper therearonnd.

More particularly stated, the invention relates to supporting and stiifening `or holding means for reinforcing and holdinga non-rigid o r non-supported wallfof a package while `a wrapper is being sealed around the package ,and against said Wall. Y

The invention h asfor itssalientobject to `provide simple and practical means for reinforcing, stiiening and supportinga non-rigid or flexible Wall of a palekagegin position as it is fed along .a heating or sealing plate or bar.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the draw? ings which form a part of this application, and in which:

Fig. l isa top plan view of mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation through the mechanism shown in Fig. l, taken on section line 2 2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. l, this view being broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation through an end portion of the package showing the operation of the stiifening, positioning, and holding means for holding a wall of the package against the sealing bar or plate;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a package; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the package, partly broken away to show the sections thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the mechanism embodying the invention has been shown in connection with a package P, in which a wrapper is wrapped around a plurality of open-ended compartments C. Each of the compartments C has four walls 10, 11, 12 and 13 which form a rectangular enclosure and in this enclosure there is supported a pouch or pocket 14, preferably formed of thin, transparent plastic material, such as cellophane or like material. This pouch 14 is supported as particularly shown in Fig. 4 on the upper surfaces or upper edges of the four walls of the compartment. The wrapper W is wrapped around the upper and lower surfaces and ends and sides of the package P and the ends of the wrapper are folded and wrapped across the ends 15 and 16 of the package. These ends of the wrapper overlap and are fed through the machine in contactrwith a pair of heater bars 20 and 21. As they are fed along the heater bars the wrapped ends are sealed. The wrapper may be formed of any suitable wrapping material, such, for instance, as a self-sealing cellophane material. In this case, when the folded ends pass through the machine in contact with the heater bars they would be sealed by the action of the heat thereon.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that `since the compartments C are open at both ends there is relatively no stiffness to the package and the present invention has been designed for the purpose of providing means for holding the outer walls of the two end com- Patented Dec. 15', 1959 partments tlat against the heater bars 20 and 21 as the package is fed through the machine, attention vbeing tdirected particularly to Fig. 4.

It is assumed that the package'Pvhas been formed by wrapping a wrapper around the four compartments arranged side by side and the ends of Athe-wrapper have been folded across the ends 15 Vand 16 'of-the package. The packages thus formed are supported on a table 30 `which is mounted onuprights 31 and 32 supported on a base V'33. The packages Yare positioned between plates or bars 35 and 3,6 mounted Von conveyor chains 37 and 38 supported in any suitable manner above the table` 30. As `the conveyor chains, 37 and 38 are driven in a manner not Shown, the packages will be moved along the table 30 and between two Ysets of stitfening and wall supporting -means about to be described.

`Each set of thestilfening and positioning means cornprises a plurality of sets of rollers 40 and 41 which are mounted on arms42 and 43 pivoted on rods 44 .and 45 supported on a plurality of vertical posts `46 mounted on the base 33. The arms 42 and 43, as shown in Fig. 1,

Yare mounted ,between collars 48 on the rods 44 and `45 and the arms can swing on the rods.

Adjustable means are Vprovided for limiting themovements of the rollers 4th and 41 toward the uppenand `lower lsui-facesof the package and it will be noted in Fig.

4 that the rollers engage these Surfaces of the package at the outer Walls of the outer compartment C and hold these walls at against the heater plate 20 or 21. The wrapper is tightened by the action of the rollers on the outer walls 10 or 12, as the case may be, and the overlapping ends of the wrapper are stilened and held tightly against the heater bar. The heat from the heater bar then acts on the adhesive material, which may be in the form of a solvent or other suitable adhesive, and tightly seals the Wrapper around the package.

The movement of the rollers against the upper and lower edges of the outer wall is controlled by means of a plurality of disks 50 and 51 mounted on rods 52 and 53, which in turn are mounted on the posts 46. The rods 52 and 53 can be oscillated or rotatably adjusted by arms 54 and 55 and due to the eccentric mounting of the disks 50 and 51 thereon these disks will cause the arms 42 and 43 to swing about the rods 44 and 45. The arms 42 and 43 and the rollers 40 and 41 carried thereby are moved against the edges of the outer wall by means of springs 60 and 61 which, at their outer ends, are hooked around the rods 52 and 53, and at the other ends thereof pass through bores 62 and 63 in the arms 42 and 43 and are secured to pins 65.

The adjusted positions of the arms 54 and 55 are controlled by a stud 66 which extends through slots 67 and 68 in the arms 54 and 55 and has mounted thereon a wing nut 69.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that the packages P, which consist of open-ended compartments C around which a wrapper has been wrapped with the ends of the wrapper folded across the ends 15 and 16 of the package in overlapping relation, will be fed along the table 30 between the plates or bars 35 and 36 carried by the conveyor chains 37 and 38. As the packages are fed along the table the two sets of rollers will engage the outer surfaces of the Wrapper at the upper and lower edges of the outer walls thereof and will exert pressure to flatten the walls and hold them firmly and rigidly against the heater bars, which will cause the adhesive to seal the overlapping ends of the wrappers.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a wrapping and sealing machine, a heater bar engageable with lapped ends of a wrapper around an article for sealing said ends, means for feeding wrapped articles having walls along the heater bar with the lapped ends of the wrapper contacting the bar, and means engaging and pressing against the inner surface of the wall of the package having the lapped ends of the wrapperfor holding the Wall and lapped ends rmly against the bar as the package is fed.

2. In a Wrapping and sealing machine, a heater bar engageable with lapped ends of a wrapper around an article for sealing said ends, means for feeding wrapped articles having walls along the heater bar with the lapped ends of the wrapper contacting the bar, and means engaging and pressing outwardly the inner surface of the upper and lower edges of the end wall of the package for holding the wall of the package having the lapped `ends of the wrapper and lapped ends firmly against the bar as the package is fed.

3. In a wrapping and sealing machine, a heater bar engageable with lapped ends of a wrapper around an -article for sealing said ends, means for feeding wrapped articles having walls along the heater bar With the lapped ends of the wrapper contacting the bar, and adjustable means engaging and pressing outwardly the inner surface of the upper and lower edges of the wall of the package having the lapped ends of the wrapper for holding the Wall and lapped ends rmly againstl the bar as the package is fed.

4. In a wrapping and sealing machine, a heater bar engageable with lapped ends of a Wrapper around an article for sealing said ends, means for feeding wrapped articles having walls along the heater bar with the lapped ends of the wrapper contacting the bar, and rollers engaging and pressing outwardly the inner surface of the upper and lower edges of the wall of the package having the lapped ends of the wrapper for holding the wall irmly against the bar as the package is fed.

5. In a wrapping and sealing machine, a heater bar engageable with lapped ends of a wrapper around an article'for sealing said ends, means for feeding wrapped articles having walls along the heater bar with the lapped ends of the wrapper contacting the bar, and adjustable rollers engaging and pressing outwardly the inner surface of the upper and lower edges of the wall of the package having the lapped ends of the wrapper for holding the wall firmly against the bar as the package is fed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,129,963 Doolittle Mar. 2, 1915 1,155,929 Jacobsen Oct. 5, 1915 1,269,866 Sejnoha June 18, 1918 1,329,069 Bever Jan. 27, 1920 2,114,833 Fincke Apr. 19, 1938 2,650,643 Fuchs Sept. 1, 1953 2,651,578 Bodolay et al. Sept. 8, 1953 

